Why Does Eminem Keep Making The Same Mistakes?
There is a fine line between genius and insanity. Don’t agree? Think about this. If Albert Einstein was living today, he would have been declared clinically insane and probably locked in a padded cell somewhere. Kanye West was insane enough to release a gospel album during a period when religion is under attack (they are trying to ban singing in church for God’s sake!). That insane idea became his 9th consecutive #1 album and was certified Gold by the RIAA. Then there is Eminem. His insanity keeps leading him to down the same path over and over again while expecting different results.
On Friday, July 10, Kid Cudi released a track titled “The Adventures of Moon Man and Slim Shady” featuring Eminem. The song, which was uplifted by outstanding production from producer Dot Da Genius, Cudi discusses his battle with depression back in 2016. But who cares about that when Eminem is once again rapping about political issues? Em takes an unnecessary jab at now-infamous New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees over his National Anthem comments: “Got a lil’ green, but I don’t do weed/Purp nor lean, that’s Tunechi/That’s New Orleans, fuck Drew Brees”. In addition, he takes another subliminal shot at the Trump administration (“Bunch of half-wits up in office”) and condemns people who do not wear a mask amidst the COVID-19 pandemic (“Don’t wanna wear a mask and they’re just scoffing/An that’s how you end up catching the shit off ‘em/I just used the same basket as you shopping/Now I’m in a fucking casket from you coughin’”). The coronavirus is a topic that probably should not be politicized, but unfortunately it has.
Eminem has gone down this political yellow brick road before. In 2004, he released “Mosh”, which he blatantly yells “Stomp, push, shove, mush/Fuck Bush”. That song failed to chart in the United States. In late 2017, he dropped his 9th album Revival, which featured the American flag plastered on the album cover. It came off the heels of a BET freestyle where he criticized Trump, the standalone promotional single “Campaign Speech” where Donald Trump was one of a couple of handfuls of people he namedropped, and his verse on Big Sean’s “No Favors”, where he attacked conservative commentator Ann Coulter. Eminem received a ton of backlash and, perhaps subsequently, the lead single for his album “Walk On Water” did not catch on in the United States, despite a Beyonce feature. In fact, the entire album did not seem to gain any traction domestically. “River” with Ed Sheeran, “Nowhere Fast” with Kehlani, and “Chloraseptic” featuring Phresher all failed to make an impact on the US charts. Part of this is, well, because the album wasn’t any good. Another part of it is that Em alienated part of his fanbase. Although Hip-Hop is largely a liberal playground, Eminem was able to capture the ears of many conservative listeners, who he pissed off when he attacked President Trump. His next album, Kamikaze, which was devoid of any political commentary, faired much better among the fans. This year’s release, Music To Be Murdered By, did not contain too many political easter eggs and probably would have done better on the charts if today’s society was not so soft, but that is a topic for another column!
Now, Eminem is back to making political statements again. It seems he would realize that every time he does, his music sales are affected negatively. Then again, maybe it is not his call. He is a signee of Interscope Records, which is owned by French media conglomerate Vivendi who has donated heavily to Democratic campaigns and liberal movements since 2016. As one of the most influential artists ever, maybe some higher-ups are pulling Eminem’s strings. Just a theory. However, the fact remains that Eminem discussing politics has not always been a wise decision. We will see if Eminem’s repeated mistakes can lead to a different outcome.
